My commute–short as it may be–will never be the same.  I lost a couple good friends today, even though they don’t know who I am.

MPR’s Morning Show had its last broadcast today, and I’m saying farewell to Tom Keith (aka Jim Ed Poole) and Dale Connelly.  Reluctantly, I’m saying farewell.

For years and years, I’ve tuned in every weekday morning to the classical station to hear intelligent (or at the very least inoffensive) banter, excellent in-studio musicians, folk and acoustic and eclectic music.  It’s sent me off to work in a good mood, fired my synapses sans caffeine, and made me–dare I say it–like people.

Yes, like people.

How can you frown on the world when you’ve got “Dancing with Bears” going through your head?  Or Ann Reed?  Neal & Leandra?  Greg Brown?

Or Jim Ed giving sports scores that even I, a non-sports-fan, can enjoy?

World music, folk, showtunes, kids’ songs…they played ’em all.  Before Jim Ed and Dale, it was Garrison Keillor.

Jim Ed (real name Tom Keith) is retiring, and Dale’s taking the show to HD Radio out of the Twin Cities (I won’t be able to get it yet) on “Radio Heartland,” and I wish them both well.  But, selfishly, I ask what I’m to do now.

I’ve long been a fan of non-commercial radio, and I rarely ever tune in to “normal” stations, what with their insipid talk, stale playlists, incessant commericals.  I’m a frazzled mess within minutes.

I’m a fan of KVSC (and yes, I’ve spent time in those studios myself) and NPR/MPR.  I will still listen to the news station, and to the classical (yes, I like classical music, along with punk and hiphop and folk and bluegrass and Celtic and world and blues and jazz and fusion), and when I’m in the Cities I’ll always tune into The Current (still more public radio).

But what about out here?  I live in a wasteland of country music and Top40!  What do I do in the mornings on my way to work?

I’ll have to play CDs, I guess.

It’ll be okay.  But it won’t be Dale and Jim Ed.